Pittsburgh wins the 2012 College Championship

Brian Kiernan, Ian Toner

Posted: May 28, 2012 01:26 PM

Pitt Earns First Title in Program History

If Pittsburgh appeared to be the more nervous team in the first half of its own semifinal, En Sabah Nur certainly appeared to be the more confident team in the first of today’s national championship game.

After missed connections on Wisconsin hucks and execution errors on simple Hodag swing passes, stacked Pittsburgh defensive units treated the disc like gold and broke three times in a row to put En Sabah Nur up 4-0 early. The Hodags regained their footing to muster four points before half time, but they were unable to manufacture the breaks they needed in the second half. Unable to close the consistent four-to-five-goal gap (despite valiant efforts from Colin Camp on offense and Tom Coolidge on defense), the Hodags fell to Pittsburgh by a score of 15-10.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ultiphotos.com

Pittsburgh’s swarming defense, even after offensive turnovers, proved to be a major difference maker for En Sabah Nur. Wisconsin handlers Dan Park, Dayu Liu, and Alex Simmons had to fight for every single reset, thanks to the steadfast marking of Julian Hausman, Trent Dillon, and Jason Kunsa. Tyler Degirolamo patrolled the deep lanes and produced important skying blocks.

Alex Thorne was another difference maker, as he showed why he finished in the top five in Callahan Award voting with a remarkable offensive performance. When the Hodags threw zone defenses, he touched the disc every other throw and threw massive zone breaking flicks. When he was the centerpiece of the offense against man defenses, he threw pinpoint hucks to star receiver Tyler Degirolamo and his brother, Max Thorne. Thorne finished the championship game with three goals, five assists, and an 88.6% completion percentage.

Pittsburgh had reached the national semifinals in years past, but today represented En Sabah Nur’s first trip to the national championship game and first national title. In addition to taking home some fine hardware and medals, Pittsburgh was awarded $5,000 by tournament sponsor Cort U Student Rentals.